Different Names For the Same Thing
by the ultimateSora
Summary: He was Phoebe's first crush, and she's thrilled when he's back in her life. The age difference, secrecy, and the fact her ex may want her back have all the makings of fine drama. Rated M for adult situations.
1. chapter one

**note:** So I decided to tackle a rarely seen ship that I think could use some love. The rating will change later on, maybe in the second chapter, but I think this first chapter is pretty tame, strong-T at the most. And I'm putting Walkerville in like the fourth(?) state I've set it, mostly because they're college aged and I think this setting works better. Also, any Greek houses mention are indeed (hopefully) fictional.

Don't own MSB or the title, which is a Death Cab For Cutie song.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter one**

Phoebe rode her bike from her house near Providence College down to Brown University, like she had been for the past couple of weeks, to bring Arnold a lunch. They had been trying to rebuild their friendship since their break-up right at the beginning of their freshman year, Arnold wanting his space and keeping his options open. Phoebe, on the other hand, still wanted to be his girlfriend, even though a year and a half had passed. It was now the spring semester of their sophomore year.

The chilly March breeze blew through her auburn hair, tousling more than it already was. Her black Providence College scarf was around her neck, the ends tucked in her gray, worn out wool coat to keep it from catching on anything, and the forty-six degree (wind chill, thirty-eight) weather had her wishing she grabbed her Red Sox beanie, her freckled forehead now numb from the cold. Aside from that, she was enjoying the clear New England day. She biked towards Kappa Omega Rho Fraternity, and she locked her bike on the half-empty bike rack on the side of the house. She made sure, again, that Arnold's lunch was in her bag, and she trotted up to the front door. She rang the bell, and a blonde wearing a rugby shirt, chinos, and boat shoes (the usual attire of the Kappa boys) answered.

"Hi, I'm here to see Arnold," she said, knowing the guy wasn't impressed with her old coat and wind blown hair.

"Yes," he said, his tone short. "He's upstairs."

He let Phoebe in, and she went up the stairs as fast as she could without running. She found Arnold sitting at his desk in his room, and she tapped on the open door before crossing the threshold. He looked up from his notes and textbooks, and he smiled at her.

"Oh, hey, Pheebs."

She opened her messenger bag and pulled out a brown paper sack. "I brought you some lunch."

He put his pen down and got up, taking the sack from her. "Awesome, thanks!" He pulled the contents out one by one. "Tuna fish sandwich on white bread with crusts, a Mallowblaster, a Coca-Cola, and six Double Stuf Oreos." He smiled. "You know just what I like."

She shrugged. "I like to think so."

He looked at the food and back to her, still smiling. "Thanks, again, but I need to get back to work."

She nodded and looked down, in hopes he thought her pink cheeks were from the cold. "Right...yeah, sure. I'll be off, then."

"Bye, Pheebs."

She gave a small wave before walking downstairs. She walked back to her bike, unlocking it, and she headed back to the house she shared with Dorothy Ann. She decided to cut through the Brown campus, and she looked around, always finding it gorgeous. Arnold, D.A., and Janet were students of Brown, and she went to PC with Wanda, Ralphie, Carlos, and Keesha. Tim was living out his dream and was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, one of the best art schools in the country.

"Phoebe Terese?"

Phoebe braked, and she looked around to see who had called her name. She turned to see a handsome, forty-something year old man smiling at her. His smile told her who it was, despite having not seen him since she was eight, and she felt her heart flutter at the fact he retained his nerdy, but handsome, boyish look.

"Mr. Seedplot?"

He walked over to her, and she got off of her bike to give him a hug. He was wearing a knitted coat over an argyle sweater vest and oxford shirt with pressed slacks and loafers. His brown hair was just as wind blown as hers, and it had some gray just above his ears.

"How have you been?" he asked. "Are you a student of Brown?"

"I've been fine. I'm not a student here actually. I go to PC. I was just dropping off lunch for a friend." When her cheeks began to ache, she realized she was still smiling. "What're you doing at Brown?"

"I was giving a speech to the education students." He smiled and looked around. "Brown is my alma mater. So how is Providence College? What are you wanting to study?"

She shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure yet. I'm thinking either primary education or nursing."

"You would make a wonderful teacher."

She giggled. "Are you just saying that because you want one of your former students to follow in your footsteps?"

"It wouldn't hurt," he said, still smiling. His brown eyes were soft, and she darted her eyes down when she realized the look he was giving her made her blush. "Would you like to get a bite to eat sometime? I would really like to catch up with one of my former students."

She nodded. "I'd like that." She reached in her messenger bag, and she pulled a pen and scrap of paper out. She scribbled _Phoebe - 401-555-2727_, and she handed it to him. "My classes all get out at 2:30. I scheduled them that way."

Mr. Seedplot pocketed her number, and he patted her arm. "Thursday around four sound alright?"

She nodded. "Sounds fine to me."

He smiled. "Then I'll see you then. It was wonderful seeing you again, Phoebe."

He walked off after she gave a small wave, and feelings she hadn't felt since she was eight resurfaced. She once again had a crush on her former teacher.

* * *

Phoebe kept checking her cell phone, which started to annoy Dorothy Ann. The two were eating Chinese take-out while watching TV the following night, and they were laying on the couch, Phoebe's feet resting beside D.A.'s hips. 

She nudged Phoebe with her foot. "Arnold's not going to call you if you keep checking your phone."

Phoebe snapped her head up. "Huh, what?"

"I said, 'Arnold's not going to call you if you keep checking your phone'."

Phoebe shook her head. "Oh, I'm not waiting for Arnold."

D.A. raised her brows. "You're not waiting for Arnold?" She sat up. "Is there a new man in Phoebe Michelle Terese's life, then?"

Phoebe's face went red. "What? No! No, no, there isn't."

D.A. smiled. "Yes, there is!" She reached over and pinched Phoebe's hip. "Who is it?"

"I don't have a 'new man'," Phoebe said, smacking her hand away.

"You so do! Who is he? Is it Tim? Ralphie?" Her face fell. "Oh, God, don't tell me it's Carlos. Phoebe, don't even bother with him. He's not as great in bed as he brags."

"It's not any of them because I don't have a 'new man' in my life, okay?" Her phone buzzed, and she jumped to her feet. "It's...my mom." She ran to her room, locking the door behind her, and knowing D.A. would listen at the door, she went in her closet. "Hello?"

"Hello, Phoebe. It's Archibald."

Phoebe didn't know what to think when he used his first name. "Oh, hi...Mr. Seedplot."

He chuckled. "Please, Phoebe, you're no longer my student and you're a young woman now. You can call me 'Archibald'."

She smiled. "Okay, then...Archibald."

"That's better. Now, would you like to meet me for lunch at the Tea Room?"

"Is that the charming little place on the bay in Walkerville?"

"Yes, it is. So I'll see you there Thursday at four?"

She nodded, knowing he couldn't see her. "Of course. I'll see you then."

They said their byes, and she hung up. She crawled out of the closet, and she looked at herself in her full length mirror. Still lanky and skinny, her breasts still small (_But at least that means they're perky_, she said to herself), her skin pocked with freckles from head to toe. The two years she dated Arnold in high school had been good for her in the way that she got over most of her body issues. Arnold had seen her naked more times than they could count. He always said he had her body memorized; every freckle, every scar, and every birthmark was imprinted in his brain. But Arnold had been a virgin when they first made love, despite having dated all the girls he had; she was sure Archibald had been with different women sexually (including Ms. Frizzle, she was sure, again), so now she was nervous that he would think she wasn't attractive enough physically.

Oh, why was she even thinking about this? Archibald was a forty-something year old man. Why would he want anything more with a nineteen year old? She took off her shirt and looked at her naked torso. Her ribs were defined, and she pushed her stomach out some to make it look like she had more meat on her bones. She pushed her sweats down some to see her hip bones. She was nineteen and built like a twelve year old...a five-foot-eleven twelve year old. At least, face wise, she looked nineteen.

She put her shirt back on, and she went out to the living room. D.A. was watching TV while finishing her dinner, and Phoebe resumed her spot on the couch. D.A. nudged her.

"So what did your...mother...say?" D.A. asked, her brows raised.

"Nothing. She and Dad are fine."

D.A. narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "You've never been good at hiding things, so I give it three days before you crack."

Phoebe furrowed her brow. "Thanks for the confidence."

* * *

Phoebe drove down to Walkerville after her class on Thursday, and she found the Tea Room. It was a small restaurant on the bluffs, and Phoebe parked in the gravel lot, the sounds of the waves crashing down below filling her ears. The seagulls were out, hoping for scraps, and Phoebe prayed one of them wouldn't poop on her. She trotted inside the restaurant, and she found Archibald sitting at a window table. He waved her over, and she walked to him. 

"Hello, Phoebe," he said, getting up to hug her.

"Hi...Archibald." She smiled. "I'm still trying to get used to calling you by your first name." They sat down across from each other, and Phoebe opened the menu. "Wow, food was more expensive here than I thought."

Archibald shook his head. "I'll pay for you. It's not a problem."

"What? Oh, no, I don't want you to have to do that," she said.

He smiled, making her heart flutter. "I _want_ to, so please let me."

His voice always made her feel lighter, and she nodded. "Well, okay. Sure."

"What sounds good to you?"

She looked back at the menu. "Well, I'm a vegetarian, so probably just a salad and a water."

Archibald nodded. "And how about we share a slice of lemon cake with some hot tea afterwards?"

Phoebe smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

The next hour went by fast. They took turns talking about what they had been doing in the past eleven years. Archibald was still teaching second grade at her "old school". He had a few relationships, but sadly, none of them worked out. He briefly dated Ms. Frizzle before she took off for her dream of rafting the Nile.

"And now, I'm devoting my time to my students and to the education students at Brown." He took a sip of his tea. "How about you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing interesting. 'Graduated' from Walkerville Elementary, ran track at Walker Lake Middle School until I tore my ACL, and I spent my last two years of high school in a serious relationship until he went to Brown and decided he needed his space and ended it. Now I'm in my second year at PC, and I'm still not sure what I want to do."

"Well, if you're interested, I may still have some of my teaching books from when I first started, if you'd like to look them over to see what you think."

Her face lit up. "Oh, that would be great, Archibald!"

"Do you have anything planned for after this?" She shook her head. "Well, if you would like, you can come by my house and look at the books."

She smiled. "I can do that."

After he paid their bill, he put his bike in the back of her ten year old Jeep Grand Cherokee, and he gave her directions how to get to his house. He lived further down the bay from the restaurant, just on the edge of the town limits. Phoebe drove down a long, dirt driveway, and she parked in front of an old, but gorgeous, beach cottage.

"You live here?" she asked, in awe.

He got his bike out of the trunk, and he locked it on his porch. "My grandfather built it in the 1930's, and this is the house my father grew up in. I bought it from him when my grandfather passed on, and I've been fixing it up for the past fifteen years now." He unlocked the front door, and Phoebe followed him in. "I even kept the original appliances."

Phoebe looked around the living room, smiling at the smell of old books and the faint hint of his cologne. Her jaw dropped when she spotted a cabinet. "Is this a Victrola Phonograph?"

He smiled. "You know your radios."

She went over to it. "It looks like the VV 7-11 model. A phonograph-radio combination?"

Archibald joined her. "You would be right. It was my grandfather's. He bought it in 1928."

Her fingers brushed the mahogany finish. "It's gorgeous. I haven't seen a Victrola in a long time. My great-grandmother had one. She died when I was four, but I remember her phonograph machine."

He smiled. "It's refreshing to know a young person that knows what a phonograph is."

"Does it work?"

"Absolutely!" His face lit up, and he went to the shelf that held his records. "Some of these were my grandfather's, but most of them I bought at a second hand stores."

Phoebe looked through them, her eyes wide. "The Andrews Sisters...Bing Crosby...Al Jolson...Louis Armstrong...Ella Fitzgerald... Archibald, this is an amazing collection." She pulled out a Gene Austin album. "Oh! You have 'Ain't She Sweet'! I adored this song when I was little."

Archibald took the album from her and took the record out. He opened the cabinet to place the record on the machine, and he started to play it. Phoebe closed her eyes and smiled as Gene Austin sang, "_There she is, there she is/That's what keeps me up at night/Oh gee whiz, oh gee whiz/There's why I can't eat a bite/Those flaming eyes/That flaming youth/Oh mister, oh sister, tell me the truth/Ain't she sweet..._"

Phoebe took a deep breath and smiled. "This song makes me think of mornings I'd wake up when we'd visit the family in Boston, and my great-grandma and grandma would have this playing while making breakfast."

Archibald held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

She took his hand. "I don't know how, but I'd love to."

He smiled. "You'll be fine."

He took one of her hands in his, and as she put her other hand on his shoulder, his slid around her waist to her lower back. He was probably around Arnold's height, maybe six-one or six-two, and he pulled her closer. She let him lead, and she eventually got into the rhythm. She felt her heart pound when she realized how close they were. She enjoyed having his body pressed against hers, and before she realized what she was doing, she pressed her lips against his.

He pulled back. "Phoebe, don't."

She let go of him, her cheeks red. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just..."

He shook his head. "I don't mean I didn't like it or wanted it to happen...it's just...we _can't_."

Her face fell. "What do you mean?"

He turned off the phonograph, his back to her, and he said, "I'm too old for you, Phoebe. You're nineteen...I'm forty-two...you should be with younger men, closer to your age."

She bit her lip and took another deep breath to calm herself. "Yes...I am nineteen. That means I'm over eighteen and not a child anymore." She linked her fingers together, gripping them hard. "Archibald...I've always carried this small crush on you, ever since I was seven. The older I got, the more I knew it would never happen...but I have a chance now. I want to be with you."

He shook his head. "It wouldn't be right, Phoebe. I'm old enough to be your father."

"I don't care!" She gasped, not meaning to snap. "What if we keep it quiet? Just something between us?"

He turned to look at her. He could see the determination in her bright green eyes. She had always been mature for her age, even when she didn't look it, and he reached out to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed along her girl-fuzzed, freckled skin, and he stepped closer to her, cupping her other cheek. Her lips were so soft, so pink, and he pulled her face closer so he could taste her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and she pressed her chest against his. She moved her arms down so her hands cupped his neck. His soft brown hair intertwined with her fingers, and she let his tongue in when she felt it on her lips.

She groaned against his mouth, and he moved his hands to her back to hold her as close as he could. He guided her to the couch, and they fell on it, him on top. Phoebe brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist, and he pulled back, his lips red and swollen.

"Phoebe, we should take this slow." He brushed her bangs back. "I don't want you getting into anything you'll regret later."

She reached for his hands. "I'm not a virgin, anymore, Archibald. I haven't been since I was sixteen."

He was surprised that the sweet-natured, sometimes naive Phoebe Terese wasn't a virgin, and he assumed it must have been the boy she dated for two years that had been her first. The sudden thought that he felt some resentment _he_ wouldn't be her first had him get to his feet.

"No...no, Phoebe. Okay, we can't do this." He rubbed his chin and put his other hand on his hip. "We can't be together...it's too...it's _wrong._"

She got up. "No, it isn't. Archibald, I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and I want to be with _you_." She took his hand. "Please."

He looked a her and took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't regret his question. "And we'll take it slow?"

She nodded. "We'll take it slow."

* * *

**note:** There you have it...Seedplot/Phoebe. Rating will change for the next chapter, so if the story is suddenly gone, switch the ratings filter to "Ratings: All", and there it be. :D 

reviews appreciated, but not required.


	2. chapter two

**note:** So this chapter is pretty smutty, so I'm just warning youse guys. Hopefully the rating changed, but if it hasn't, this chapter has made this fic** rated M** now. Once again...smuts are ahead.

Don't own MSB or title.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter two**

Spring Break was coming up in less then a couple of days. Dorothy Ann was leaving Friday for Walkerville, and then she and her family were off to St. Paul on Saturday. She wasn't there when Wanda decided to throw a party at D.A. and Phoebe's, so with the strong headed D.A. in Minnesota, Phoebe crumpled under Wanda's persistence. The only people she knew were her six best friends, and a bunch she didn't know, mostly from PC but some from Brown, showed up.

Phoebe nursed her beer as she sat on the couch's armrest, her feet on the cushion, and she wished she was at Archibald's, listening to his ragtime albums as they laid on the couch. She looked up when she saw Arnold walk up to her.

"There you are," he said, grinning. "You're not mingling at your own party."

She shrugged. "This is more Wanda's party than my own. She's the one throwing it."

"Arnold!"

They turned and saw Tiffany Woods run up to them. Arnold smiled at her. "Hey, Tiff. Wanda invite you, too?"

"Yeah. I figured we haven't hung out in a while, might as well come by."

Arnold turned to Phoebe. "I'll talk to you later." He walked off with Tiffany, and Phoebe sighed.

Tiffany, like Wanda and all of Arnold's other exes, was confident and gorgeous. She was taller than D.A. but shorter than Keesha, and she wasn't as tan as D.A. Her nose was spotted with freckles, and her short blonde hair was almost the same bright shade as D.A.'s. Phoebe got up and went to her room, locking the door behind her, and she pulled out her cell phone. She called Archibald.

"Hello?"

She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "It's me. I need to see you tonight."

"Phoebe...I don't know. We agreed--"

"I know, I know. Meet together during the day, but please, Archibald."

He sighed. "Okay."

"I'll be there in a few," she said.

She hung up, and she grabbed a small bag, tossing in a pair of panties and some sweats and a t-shirt. She was glad no one was in the bathroom when she grabbed her toothbrush, tossing it in the bag, and she went to find Keesha.

"Keesh, can you do me a favor?"

Keesha nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"Make sure the place doesn't get too trashed. I have to get back to Walkerville." She gave her the spare key on her key ring. "Lock up when everyone leaves and just put the key under the potted plant outside."

Keesha nodded. "No problem."

"Thanks."

She walked out before Keesha could ask anything more, and she felt her heart stop when she saw Arnold kissing Tiffany in the hallway. She ran out and tossed her bag in the back of her Jeep. She drove down to Walkerville and down along the coast to Archibald's house. She parked in the dirt and sand driveway, and she got out, running to the door. She knocked numerous times, and when Archibald opened the door, she threw herself in his arms.

"I think it's time," she whispered against his lips.

"Phoebe...no."

"Please, Archibald...I need you."

The look in those brilliant green eyes of hers softened him, and he took a deep breath. He nodded, locking the front door before lifting her up and carrying her to the bedroom.

* * *

The morning sun shone through the bay window of Archibald's room, and when the light hit Phoebe's eyes, they fluttered open. She stretched, the sheets cool against her skin, and she turned on her other side, Archibald's bare back to her. She ran her lips along his fair skin, nicking his shoulder blade with her teeth. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, her fingers brushing the light patch of hair on his breast bone, and she kissed the back of his neck as he groaned while waking. 

"Good morning," she sighed.

He turned over, her arms still around him, and he kissed the tip of her nose. He brushed her bangs back and smiled. "You look like you just conquered the world."

She nodded. "I feel like I have." She cupped his cheek. "It was wonderful..._you_ were wonderful."

They kissed, and he sat up. "I'll got get breakfast started after I clean up."

She smiled. "Sounds good. I think I'll lay here for a moment longer."

He brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "Stay as long as you'd like."

She watched him get up and walk to the bathroom, still naked from the night before. He wasn't as muscular as Arnold or quite as endowed (not that he was tiny, though), but she didn't care. She felt herself grow hot at the memory of Archibald's hands on her body the night before. He knew where and how to touch her just right, and she closed her eyes, the feel of him inside of her still fresh on her mind.

Archibald walked out of the bathroom, and he crawled on the bed over her. He smelled fresh of aftershave and mint, and Phoebe covered her mouth. "Now I feel gross with morning breath," she giggled.

He kissed her forehead. "I don't mind. What would you like for breakfast?"

She kept her hand over her mouth. "I'll eat anything you cook...unless it's meat."

He smiled. "Noted."

He got up, and she watched him put on his boxers and a discarded pair of slacks and an under shirt. She buried her face in his pillow, still in disbelief that something so great had happened to her. She decided to pull herself out of bed, the old metal frame creaking, and she smiled, remembering how free it felt that she didn't have to keep quiet during sex. She went in the bathroom to wash off her face and rinse out her mouth. She found a bottle of mouthwash and figured it would hold her until she got her toothbrush from her Jeep. When she was done, she put on one of Archibald's discarded Oxford shirts, and she walked out to the kitchen where she found him making scrambled eggs and pancakes. He had Bing Crosby playing on the phonograph, and Phoebe came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she kissed his neck.

He turned around and smiled. "Is it fine if I say you look sexy wearing just one of my shirts?"

She nodded. "It's not something I'm used to, but it's fine."

He turned off the stove, and he lifted her up, setting her on the edge of the sink. He stood between her legs and kissed her. He looked down, his smile bigger. "You're not wearing any underwear."

Her cheeks turned pink. "I thought they would just get in the way." She reached for the waist of his slacks, unbuttoning them. She smiled at the growing bulge, and she unzipped his pants, pulling them and his boxers down to let him free. She wrapped one arm around his neck, pulling him closer, and she guided him in. "Make love to me here."

He kissed her, his hands gripping hard on her hips, and she held onto the counter as he lifted her some for better access. His rhythm was smooth, and she pressed her calves against his butt, pressing him further into her. He set her down, still moving his hips as he unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing. He pushed it off of her, and he leaned down to kiss her chest. She gasped as his lips moved down to her breast. He lifted her again, making his rhythm faster, and the only sounds between them were grunts, gasps, and his hips hitting against hers.

She looked in his honey-brown eyes, his long lashes curving up, and she let go of the counter with her left hand to cup his face. "I'm almost there," she said, her voice husky.

He nodded, kissing her neck. She moved her hand to the back of his head, his hair sticking out between her fingers, and as her orgasm grew, she held him tighter. Her gasps and moans grew louder, and when she felt him release himself inside of her, she threw her head back, moaning his name. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so spent, and she realized her body was covered in sweat. He set her back down on the edge of the counter, and she brought her other arm around his back.

"Oh, Archibald," she sighed, kissing his shoulder and neck. She moved her right hand down to his butt. "Stay inside of me, please."

He kissed her shoulder. "Of course."

She moved her hands to the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head. He pulled his pants and boxers down and kicked them off, and despite having grown flaccid, he stayed inside of her as he lifted her up and carried her to the living room. The music had stopped, but he didn't care. The sound of her heavy breathing was enough for him. He sat down on the couch, turning to lay back with his head on the arm rest. Phoebe smiled when she felt him start to grow hard inside of her, and she ran her fingers down his chest.

"I've never had this much sexual energy before," he said, cupping her breasts. "You make me feel young again, Phoebe."

She shook her head, taking one of his hands and sucking some on his thumb. "You were never old. Not to me."

She moved up and down with a smooth motion, and she was gentle when she bit down on his thumb. She started to suck on it as she moved her hips back and forth, keeping him deep inside of her. He pinched her nipple with his other hand, also giving her breast a gentle squeeze, and she took his thumb out of her mouth as she leaned down, cupping his face as she kissed him. He thrusted his hips up to meet hers, their tongues now dancing together. She whimpered against his mouth, her excitement growing once again, and he slid his hands down her back, his fingers brushing her protruding spine, stopping at her butt. He gave it a squeeze, feeling bone under the skin, and he helped her move faster.

She broke the kiss to moan as loud as she could, and she cried out when she felt his lips and teeth graze the flushed skin of her neck. "Oh, Archibald!" She pressed her forehead down against his.

"Phoebe..." he groaned. "Phoebe...I think...I think..." She moaned when she felt his second release, and she collapsed on top of him. "I'm sorry."

She rested her head in the crook of his neck. "For what?"

He wrapped his arms around her, giving her upper arm a squeeze. "I let go too soon."

She ran her hand along his chest and kissed his collarbone. "You're fine. I was still sensitive from the last time."

He kissed the top of her head and chuckled. "Breakfast is probably cold now."

She smiled. "We can always reheat it later. I feel like napping."

He nodded. "Me too."

She closed her eyes and sighed, never feeling closer to anyone else before.

* * *

Arnold parked his Toyota Land Cruiser in front of the Terese house, the following day, and he walked up to the front door, his hands in his pockets. He rang the bell and re-pocketed the hand. Mrs. Terese answered the door, and she smiled when she saw it was him. 

"Oh, hi, Arnold. What brings you around?"

"Hi, Mrs. Terese, is Phoebe home?"

Mrs. Terese shook her head. "She said she was staying in Providence."

He nodded. "Oh. Oh, right. Yeah..." He smiled. "Yeah, I guess I forgot."

"Would you like to come in anyway? I'm sure Mark would love to talk to you."

He shook his head. "Oh, thanks, but no thanks. I should get going. It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Terese."

She nodded. "You too, Arnold. Take care."

He waved and walked back to the Land Cruiser. He started the engine, and he headed home. The Perlsteins decided to take it easy that Spring Break, having gone skiing during the winter break, and since the Kappa house was closed for the break, Arnold was home in Walkerville. He drove around town, bored out of his mind. Everyone had gone on vacation except him and Phoebe, and he wished he had told his parents he wanted to go to the Cape again. He pulled out his phone and dialed Phoebe's cell phone again. Maybe they could catch a movie or something.

Only about five miles south of where he was, Phoebe didn't hear her phone ring. It was buried under her and Archibald's clothes in the bedroom, and she was in the bathroom with him. She sat in the antique clawfoot tub, the water refreshing and warm against her skin, and she watched him shave, the only light being the morning sun coming from the large window beside the tub. She rested her chin on her arm on the side of the tub, and she smiled as the muscles in his back flexed with each stroke.

"Let's go on vacation some time," she said.

He let out a small laugh. "And where would we go?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Maine? Vermont? Somewhere rural and romantic." She giggled. "Not that your charming, beautiful home isn't romantic enough."

He rinsed his face, and he turned around, leaning back on the sink. "Maine or Vermont, hm?"

"Just you and me in a rustic cabin the woods...it'll be just as romantic as being here on the beach."

"But in Maine or Vermont, we'll be away from everyone here in Walkerville," he finished, knowing where her thought was going.

She nodded. "Exactly."

He smiled at the sight of her in the tub, her freckled skin pink from the warm water. She had her wet hair pushed back, and she smiled back at him. He felt himself grow hot at the sight of her, and he walked over to the tub, crouching down in front of her. He brushed his fingers along her cheek, their eyes locked on one another's.

"Join me," she said, her voice soft.

He stood up and slipped his boxers off, and he got in the tub across from her. She gripped the sides of the tub and moved through the water to straddle his lap. He gave her breasts a squeeze, and he moved his hands to her back, running them up and down her wet skin.

"You're a wonderful woman, Phoebe."

She smiled and brushed his hair back. "You didn't call me a 'girl'."

"Because you're a beautiful and mature young woman," he said, kissing along her defined collarbone.

She gave him a small but deep kiss. "I think...I think I'm falling in love with you, Archibald," she whispered against his lips.

He moved his hands down to her butt and lifted her with himself as he sat on the edge of the tub, sliding her down on his erection.

* * *

**note:** So I think this is was probably some of the hottest sex I've written thus far. 

And a reference:

_"You look like you just conquered the world."  
She nodded. "I feel like I have."_  
- Taken from _Dallas_. Lucy's first fiancé, Kit, tells her this after their first time

reviews are always nice, quite.


	3. chapter three

**note:** Just want to say thanks for the reviews, everyone, and here you have ye old chapter three. :D

Don't own MSB or title.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter three**

Phoebe had erased the three missed calls from Arnold during that week, knowing if she talked to him it would just distract her from Archibald. She laid in bed beside him, his arm around her shoulders, and she heaved a sigh. "I don't want this week to end."

He kissed her head. "I don't either."

She turned on her side, the sheet falling down her hips a little more, and she kissed his neck. "The summer will be here in a little over two months. I want to stay here with you during the break."

He smiled and cupped her breast with his other hand, running his thumb over her nipple. "That's a long way away, Phoebe," he said.

She ran her finger along his chest. "I know it is, but I feel like we probably won't see each other as much...what with school and keeping this quiet." She kissed him and relaxed her head on his pillow. "Archibald...why haven't you touched me yet?"

He raised his brows, somewhat confused. "What do you mean? We just made love a few minutes ago."

She nodded. "I know, but you haven't given me oral or fingered me."

He shrugged, blushing from her use of words. "I've never seen the purpose when I can just make love to a woman."

She smiled and kissed him. "You're so old-fashioned...I love that about you." She took his hand and placed it between her thighs. "Touch me."

He kissed her back and grinned. "Guide me. Show me how you like to be touched."

She moved his fingers up within her folds, and he felt his heart pound when he felt how wet she was. He made her that way, and he loved that he got her to feel like that. She guided his finger to a nub, and she moved his finger around the nub in a slow circle.

"Keep going like that," she instructed, her voice soft. "Press a little harder."

He did. "Like this?"

She nodded, biting her lip. She pulled the sheet back, and he could see where his fingers were, the sight making him hard. She took his middle and index fingers, pressing them together and placing them at her opening. "Keep touching my clit with your thumb and put your fingers in me," she said, her voice raspy.

He did what she instructed, and he smiled when she arched her back from his touch. While his fingers moved in and out of her, he kissed her shoulder and moved his lips down along her skin, taking her nipple with his teeth. She moaned as he sucked on it. The feel of his fingers in her and his lips on her nipple had her come faster than she expected, and he felt her wetness cover his hand. Out of curiosity of how she tasted, he brought his fingers to his lips, licking them.

"I like the way you taste," he said.

"I want to taste you," she said, a look of lust in her eye he hadn't seen yet.

He knew what she was insinuating. "Oh, Phoebe, no...no, I don't think so. The idea of...having a mouth on me like that..."

She looked down to see his erection was a deep red, and she grasped it. "Let me relieve you." He was about to say no again, and she gave him a firm squeeze. "Please."

He decided to give in, and he nodded. She moved down in the bed, and she kissed his tip. "That...actually feels nice," he said, breathing hard.

She put his hand on the back of her head. "Guide me around."

She gripped the base of his hard-on, and when she put her mouth around him, he gasped and ran his fingers through her tousled, sweat drenched hair, guiding her around.

* * *

A couple of days passed. Phoebe was sitting at the dining room table of her and Dorothy Ann's house, doing homework, when there was a knock on the door. D.A. wasn't home, so Phoebe put her pen down and got up to answer it. She was surprised to see Arnold on the other side of the glass storm door. 

She opened it to let him in, and he walked inside. "Hey, I've been trying to reach you all last week."

She blushed. "Oh...yeah, I was...in and out." She extended her arm out. "Come in, come in. Want anything to drink?"

He shook his head and made his way to the living room. "No, thanks. I'm good."

She followed him to the living room, and they sat down on the couch. "So, what's up?" she asked.

He scratched his chin. "Well, I was wondering if you would like to be my date to the Kappa formal. It's April seventh, but we're leaving that Friday since it'll be in Philly this year."

She got up and walked to the kitchen, which was divided from the living room by the counter bar. She got a bottled water from the fridge, and she stood at the counter as she took a big drink. "Oh, Arnold, I don't know."

He got up. "Well, if you don't want to, that's fine." He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "I just thought we'd have fun together. I wanted to ask a friend."

"What about Tiffany?"

He raised his brows. "What about her?"

She took a drink of her water. "I saw you two kissing at the party before the break."

He shook his head. "It meant nothing. It was just a random make out." He chuckled. "You thought she and I were dating?" When she didn't laugh, he stopped. "Sorry."

"No...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

He gave her a small smile. "So, you'll go with me?" When she looked down, he said, "Just as friends."

She smiled. "Well, I guess I see no harm. I'll go."

He smiled, too. "Great! We're driving down with my roommate and his date. We can talk more about the plans later when they get more definite."

She nodded. "Sounds good."

He looked at his watch. "You done for the day?"

She nodded. "My last class was cancelled. Why?"

"You wanna grab a bite to eat with me?" She made a face, and he held up his hands. "Just two friends hanging out."

She giggled. "Sure. You pick the place."

* * *

Archibald wasn't saying anything. Phoebe reached across the table for his hand, giving it a squeeze. "If you don't want me to go, I won't," she said. 

They were having dinner at a small seafood restaurant in downtown Providence. Archibald gave her hand a squeeze. "Phoebe, if you want to go, then go." He smiled. "You're in college...live like it. Don't let me stop you. We're not exclusive or anything."

She forced a smile, trying to pretend his "not exclusive" comment didn't bother her. She brought his fingers to her lips. "Believe me, Arnold is just a friend."

He nodded. "I understand."

"Phoebe?"

Phoebe let go of Archibald's hand, and she looked up to see Tiffany Woods walk over to her. "Oh, hi, Tiffany."

"I didn't get the chance to talk to you at the party. How've you been?"

Phoebe nodded, surprised Tiffany even remembered her name. "I've...I've been good. I'm at PC with Wanda, Ralphie, Carlos, and Keesha."

Tiffany looked at Archibald. "Is this your dad?"

Both Archibald and Phoebe blushed and looked down, and Phoebe shook her head. "No, no, this is a friend of mine. Archibald Seedplot, Tiffany Woods."

Tiffany shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Seedplot." She looked at Phoebe. "Nice to see you again, Phoebe."

She walked off, and Phoebe felt her neck grow hot. "Archibald...I--"

He held up his hand. "A simple and understandable mistake."

She slid her foot under his pant leg, and in hopes of changing the subject, she said, "What say we skip dessert and go back to your house?"

He shook his head. "You should go home."

He waved the waiter over for the check, and after he paid, she drove him back to Walkerville. She leaned over to kiss him goodnight, but he got out before she got the chance to. She drove back to Providence, and she was glad Dorothy Ann was out with her lacrosse teammates. She walked in the empty house, and she went to her room to put her pajamas on.

She walked out to the living room just as Dorothy Ann walked in. "Hey, Laverne."

Phoebe raised her brows. "I thought we agreed you were Laverne and I was Shirley."

D.A. shrugged. "To-may-to, to-mah-to." She put her Burberry purse on the dining table. "How was your night?"

Phoebe went to the kitchen to get her pint of Cherry Garcia from the freezer. "Same old, same old. Yours?"

D.A. crossed the kitchen, unbuttoning her shirt as she went in her room. "Charlsie drank too much wine and threw up in a ficus," she said, leaving her door open. Phoebe went to the door way and stood against the frame. "Needless to say, we got kicked out of the restaurant."

She put on her Tarvaris Jackson (the Minnesota Vikings quarterback) jersey, which was a children's size, almost skin tight, and stopped at her midriff, and she also put on some matching Vikings shorts. The shorts barely covered her butt, as they were old shorts from when she was ten. She got her pint of Phish Food from the freezer, and the two went to the living room to watch TV.

"So Arnold asked me to Kappa's formal," Phoebe said, laying head-to-feet beside D.A. on the couch.

D.A. swallowed her bite of ice cream. "Did you say yes?" Phoebe nodded, and D.A. smiled. "Well, that's great, isn't it? Maybe he really wants to get back together."

Phoebe shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know if I want to, though."

D.A. raised her brows and nudged Phoebe's ribs wither her foot. "What? But you've wanted to get back with him since he broke up with you!"

"I know, I know, but..." She tried to think of a valid excuse for not wanting to get back with Arnold that wasn't "I'm having sex with my second grade teacher". "I just worry that we'll get back together and then break up again."

"I doubt it," D.A. said, taking another bite of ice cream.

Phoebe shook her head, glad D.A. bought her phony excuse. "I still don't know. And besides, he might have just asked me so that he wouldn't feel obligated to sleep with me or anything. If he took a prettier girl or one he was interested in, he'd probably feel like he would have to be a romantic."

"I still think he wants to get back together."

"You_ think_ or you _hope_?"

D.A. smiled. "Well, Arnold was good for you. So I hope to God he wants you back."

Phoebe raised her brows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Arnold made you less, well, _you._"

Phoebe laughed and kicked D.A. in the arm. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"He made you less squeaky and more outgoing. You actually started getting that flirtatious streak you had when we were kids back...though, you sadly haven't gotten any boy action _since_ Arnold."

Phoebe smiled and kicked her again. D.A. slung her leg over Phoebe, scissoring her and keeping her arms together. D.A.'s legs were stronger than they looked, and Phoebe also realized D.A. waxed them when she didn't feel any stubble.

"Let go of me!" Phoebe giggled. "I can see all the way to France from this end!" D.A. let go of her, and Phoebe kicked her. "Seriously, D.A., go put on some panties that actually _cover_."

* * *

Phoebe told Archibald she was spending the weekend before formal with him. She just had to come up with a good lie to tell Dorothy Ann as to why she wouldn't be home for the weekend. She decided to tell her she'd be in Boston. Phoebe tossed her bag in her Jeep just as a pale, metallic green 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280SE sedan pulled in the driveway behind her. 

D.A. got out, and Phoebe asked, "You're driving your dad's car?"

D.A. set the alarm and walked over to her. "Yeah, the 450 needed the tires aligned, so Dad gave me his car for the weekend since I have sorority duties and crew practice."

Richard Ewing fixed up old cars as a guilty pleasure hobby, and the 280SE had been fully restored when the gang was in junior high. He loved the 280SE, the pale green color the original color, and he didn't want to change it, saying it made it look "classic" (despite the XM radio and GPS system in it). Sue Ellen, D.A.'s mother, was the only one in the family to drive a newer car (2002 Suburban). D.A.'s three older sisters all drove old cars their dad fixed up, and D.A. drove a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SL roadster (red with a removable hardtop). Evan wouldn't be sixteen until the fall, and she had a restored 1985 Firebird Trans Am waiting for her. The Trans Am was originally going to be for D.A., but Richard finished the 450SL first, which D.A. liked better anyway.

"You Ewings and your old cars," Phoebe laughed as they walked back in the house. "Though, I was always kind of envious. My car's old, but not cool-old like yours."

They walked inside, and D.A. sighed, "The 450 is kick ass, isn't it?"

"Shut up," Phoebe said, smiling.

D.A. looked at her watch. "Hey, let's go grab some dinner. I don't feel like cooking, and I'm sure you don't either."

Phoebe shook her head. "You go ahead. I'm not that hungry, really."

D.A. raised her brows. "Pheebs, I think you could use a little meat on your bones, you know."

Phoebe rolled her eyes when D.A. winked. "I'll be fine, thanks."

D.A. headed back for the door. "Well, I'm going to grab something light, then. Call me if you decide you want something."

Phoebe nodded, and she walked out. She waited about fifteen minutes, and she left for Walkerville. She parked the Jeep in front of Archibald's house, and she noticed his bike wasn't there. She knew he kept a spare key under the mat, and she used it to let herself in. The house was dark and quiet, the only sound being the surf and seagulls outside. She closed the door behind her, and she walked to the bedroom to put her bag down. She smiled, getting an idea, and she threw off her clothes, putting on one of his discarded Oxford shirts, rolling up the sleeves. She slipped her panties off, and she walked to the kitchen to make some tea. She went to the sink, smiling at the memories of having sex against it, and as she filled the teapot with water, she heard the front door open in the living room behind her.

"Phoebe?"

She turned around to see Archibald walking in with a reusable grocery bag in hand. "Hello. I'm just making some tea."

He walked in the kitchen, putting the bag on the table, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

"Thought I'd surprise you," she said, putting the teapot on the burner. She turned around and put her hands on his chest, her voice soft as she said, "Surprise."

He gave her hips a squeeze before letting go of her. "What would you like for dinner?" he asked, emptying the grocery bag.

She leaned back against the counter, unbuttoning some of the buttons on the shirt when he wasn't looking. "Doesn't matter to me, really."

He put the groceries away, and he turned to her, noticing the shirt was open to her belly button, the insides of her breasts showing. He felt the front of his slacks become tight. "Should...should we just skip dinner?"

She smiled and ran a finger down her chest. "If you want."

He crossed over to her, lifting her into his arms, and she giggled when she felt his fingers dig into the skin of her butt. He set her on the table, and she laid back as he unbuttoned the last buttons of the shirt. He took off his glasses before shedding off his sweater vest and Oxford shirt. Phoebe sat up to unbuckle his belt and unbutton and unzip his slacks. He kicked his shoes off, and he pulled his pants and boxers off along with his socks.

"You know you're the first woman I've made love to outside of the bedroom and bathroom?" he asked when she pulled him closer.

She kissed him as she laid back on the table top. "I'm flattered," she giggled. She gasped when she felt him push into her. "Slow...slow..." She smiled and closed her eyes, and when he was in as far as he could go, she grabbed his butt with her fingers, holding him in place. "Stay...don't move yet. Please."

He pulled her closer to the edge of the table, and he stood up, running his hands up her belly to her breasts. They were nearly flat when she was on her back, so he ran his thumb over her hard nipples. She let out a sigh and whispered he could move as she stretched her arms up above her head. He moved his hands down to her hips, and he held her with a firm grip as he moved his hips in a smooth motion. She bit her lip, whimpering while smiling with each thrust. He eased his rhythm to a faster one, and he smiled down at her. Her freckled body was flushed, and she tilted her head back as she let out a long sigh.

He kept one hand holding her hip, and he ran his other hand back up her belly, his fingers then brushing her ribs. He sped his rhythm up, feeling himself ready to climax, and he knew he would lose it soon when he watched her arch her back and grip the sides of the table. Just as he released himself in her, they realized the teapot was whistling. He pulled out of her, and he turned around to turn off the burner. He moved the teapot off of the hot burner, and he felt Phoebe's hands on his back.

"That was wonderful, as always," she said, kissing the back of his neck.

He turned around. "Did you...?"

She shook her head. "No, but it's fine." She grinned and ran her fingers along his chest. "There's plenty of time for that."

* * *

Phoebe woke up at the sound of a phone ringing, and she rubbed her eyes, turning her head to her right to see Archibald sitting up to answer it. She ran her fingers down his arm as he hit the "TALK" button, but before she could sit up and kiss his neck, he got up. She watched him walk to his dresser to get a fresh pair of boxers out. 

"Oh, hello...yes, I had a nice time yesterday, too...today? Today should be fine. Say around eleven?...Great! Okay, I will see you then, Cecilia." He hung up the phone and slipped the boxers on.

Phoebe sat up, wrapping the sheet around her chest. "Who was that?"

He walked to the bathroom, leaving the door open as he said, "Just a colleague."

She got up and walked in the bathroom to draw a bath. "Are you going out with her today?" She turned to see him brush his teeth.

He nodded and spit in the sink. "Yes." He rinsed out his mouth and picked up the can of shave cream.

Phoebe poured in some of the bath salts she left the last time she was over, and the water turned an opaque, pale green. "Is it a date?"

"Does it matter?" His tone was soft, not harsh or snippy.

She got in the water and turned her head towards him. "Well, I'm just curious. Are you in love with her?"

He started to run the razor up his neck. "Phoebe, I told you that you and I were not exclusive."

She cupped some of the fresh water coming out of the faucet and washed it over her face, cleaning the sleep from her eyes. She turned it off when the water was just above her breasts. "Are you having sex with her?"

"No. And to be perfectly honest, Phoebe, it wouldn't be your business if I were." His tone was still soft and calm, not a trace of maliciousness.

Phoebe leaned back and brought her knees up, swirling the water with her finger. "Well, I dunno, I mean...we've been seeing a lot of each other lately, and I told you I was falling in love with you." She looked down at the water. "Does she know about me?"

"Of course not. We agreed to keep this quiet." She watched him finish shaving, and he turned around after he rinsed his face off. "I care for you, Phoebe, but I'm not ready for us to keep this exclusive."

She looked up at him, her eyes a little droopy. "So you're going to lunch with her?"

"Yes."

She looked back at the water. "Well, I thought you and I would spend the day together."

His face softened to an apologetic expression. "You're welcome to stay here if you want, but I cannot drop a lunch date. She would be suspicious."

Phoebe nodded, still looking at the water. "I suppose."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, and she watched him walk out into the bedroom. She slid down further in the water, and she perked up when Archibald walked back to the doorway, buttoning a pair of slacks. "Would you like your phone near you?"

She nodded and looked down. "Sure."

He walked in and set her phone on the chair near the tub. He put a fresh towel on there too for her, and he kissed her on the head again before walking out. She slid back down in the water, and she heaved a sigh. She didn't want to leave the next weekend on bad terms with Archibald, and she let her mind drift off to this Cecilia woman. She wondered if she was beautiful. She bet she was smart...smart and beautiful. She snapped from her thoughts when Archibald walked in the bathroom, fully dressed.

"Tell me about her," Phoebe said, not meaning to blurt it out.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, raising his brows.

"What is she like? What does she look like? That sort of thing."

He thought about it. "She's maybe about your height, maybe a little shorter. She has curly brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin. She's an American literature professor at Brown. I met her the first time I came to talk to the education students."

Phoebe sighed. "She's a professor...is she your age?"

"Around, yes."

She nodded and tried to keep the tears back. "Well, I hope you two have fun." He nodded and turned to walk out. "I'll head back to Providence today."

He stopped. "You don't have to."

She shook her head. "I'll see you later, then."

He gave her one last contrite look before walking out. Phoebe moved her knees side to side, making small waves in the water, and she leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. She heard her phone vibrating, and she grabbed the towel to dry off her hands before reaching for it.

She flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey, Pheebs." It was Arnold, and he sounded cheerful.

She scratched her brow. "Oh, hey. What's doin'?"

Used to the occasional Bostonisms she would pop out, he went on, "So hey, we're leaving probably around three on Friday for Philadelphia. Is that good for you?"

"Yeah, yeah, that should be fine."

"So what're you doing today?"

She leaned her head back against the tub. "Nothing that I know of. Why?"

"I don't know...maybe we could hang out? Catch a movie or something."

She looked down at the water, thinking Archibald _did_ leave to meet another woman, and besides, Arnold only saw her as a friend. She nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Half an hour later, the two decided to go to the Walkerville Zoo. They walked around the small, urban zoo, sharing a pink colored cotton candy (supposedly it was cherry; Phoebe thought it just tasted like sugar), and Arnold stopped when they came to the fox habitat. They walked to the edge and looked down to see a family of foxes, the kits playing around and snapping at one another.

"You know, I can't look at a fox without thinking of you," he said with a small smile.

"Tim was a fox, too," she pointed out.

He chuckled. "Yeah, but he's a dude." He tore off a piece of the cotton candy as they watched the kits play. "Remember the times we'd have sex and start barking and biting one another?"

Her cheeks turned pink, but she laughed. "I do. You left a massive bruise on me right here." She ran her finger along her shirt over the spot between the base of her neck and her shoulder.

"I guess it's one of the effects the Friz turning us into animals...we get the animal instincts." He laughed. "Sometimes when I'd be at swim practice, I'd feel the urge to migrate."

"Oh, that's nothing. Sometimes I try to open my leaves to let in the sun and air so I can photosynthesize."

"I think our fox instincts coming out during sex was the best though," he said with a smile.

They both laughed, and Phoebe felt awful. Here she was, having a good time with her ex, talking about their former sex life, and she didn't care if Archibald said they weren't exclusive, she felt like she was cheating on him. Though, in an odd way, she was comfortable talking about their old sex life with Arnold. It almost didn't feel weird to her. Maybe it was because, despite not being together anymore, she still felt comfortable with him. Arnold had a way of letting Phoebe's guard down, and she knew it.

"You still have the scar on your butt from when I bit your tail?" she asked.

"Of course." He patted the right side of his butt. "I remember a throbbing pain when we turned back into kids, and I saw a deep bruise with even deeper teeth marks when I got home to inspect the injury." He laughed. "Phoebe Terese bit me on the butt when we were eight."

She grinned. "You know what would have been funny?"

"What?"

"If you and Tim had fought over who was going to mate with me."

He laughed. "And then you would have turned us both down after we made asses of ourselves."

She took a piece of cotton candy and nodded as she put it in her mouth. "Of course."

They walked around the other habitats, and when they were done, they walked out into downtown. Arnold had parked in a parking garage near the little restaurant they had lunch at, and Phoebe felt her heart fall when she saw Archibald and his professor woman-friend walk out of a bookstore. Arnold hadn't seen them, his attention on her, and she was relieved Archibald didn't see her. Her assumption had been right; Archibald's companion was gorgeous. She was dressed in a modest pant suit, her curly hair shiny and smooth, and Phoebe looked down.

"What is it?" Arnold asked.

"What?" She shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Nothing."

He shrugged. "Well, I don't believe you, but that's fine." He nodded to the Cold Stone Creamery they were walking closer to. "Hey, let's get an ice cream."

She forced a small smile, trying to get the image of Archibald and the woman out of her mind. "Sure, that sounds good."

* * *

**note:** Oh, Phoebe and your angst. Stick around...more smuts and angst ahead. :D 

reviews are always nice.


	4. chapter four

**note:** So this chapter is also pretty smutty and angsty. Just making sure I warn you lot before you read on. It's also, once again, angsty, especially towards the end...I guess. I dunno. I'll let you lot be the judge of that. :D

Don't own MSB or title.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter four**

Phoebe hadn't been to Philadelphia in a long time, but she felt she couldn't enjoy it. She sat in the passenger seat of the Land Cruiser and watched as they drove out of Manhattan and crossed the George Washington Bridge. Arnold's roommate and his girlfriend were asleep in the back, and the volume of the radio was soft. Arnold reached over and gave her arm a squeeze.

"Just another hour or so and we'll be in Philly." He laughed. "Just have to cross over Jersey."

She nodded. "Mm hm."

"You okay? You've hardly said anything the past three hours."

"I'm fine."

He shrugged. "Don't really believe you, but I'll take it."

She looked out the window, the Hudson River stretching out below them, and her mind drifted to Archibald. She wondered how he was doing, what he was doing, did he miss her, did he really want her to stay...but she snapped from her thoughts when she felt Arnold take her hand.

"Do you still like the right side of the bed?" he asked.

"Wait...what?"

"There's four of us to a room. You and I are sharing a bed."

She felt her neck grow hot. When she slept with Archibald, she was on his left. "Well, it doesn't...it doesn't really matter to me."

He nodded. The rest of the drive to Philadelphia was silent. The Kappa Omega Rho formal was at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing, the hotel right on the Delaware River waterfront. Arnold parked the Land Cruiser, and after the four grabbed their bags, they walked in the lobby. The Kappa social chair was standing there, giving everyone their room keys, and after getting their keys, they went up to the room. Arnold's roommate and the girlfriend put on their swimming outfits, grabbed their towels, and headed for the indoor pool.

Phoebe put her bag on the empty bed closest to the windows, and she picked up her garment bag holding her formal dress to hang it up. Arnold opened the blinds, their room facing the river, and the late evening light made the low lying clouds look darker. He turned around and smiled at her.

"I was thinking you and I stay in...maybe order room service and a Pay-Per-View movie."

She grinned. "How did you know I didn't feel like going out?"

He shrugged. "I like to think I know you pretty well. Your eyes are droopier than usual, so I figured you were feeling too tired to go out." He smiled. "Plus, I knew going clubbing isn't your thing."

She smiled. "Well, staying in with a movie and room service _does_ sound good."

He nodded and smiled. "Great! Well, you pick the movie, and I'll pay. Sound good?"

She bit her lip. "I don't want you to have to pay."

He held his hand up. "Let me. It would make me happy."

She smiled. "Fine, but we're watching something with Will Ferrell in it."

"Deal."

* * *

_Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby_ never got old to Phoebe. She and Arnold were enjoying their room service dinner on their bed, both in sweats and t-shirts, and Phoebe found she was liking his company too much. She hadn't thought about Archibald since she had unpacked, and now she having fun and laughing with her ex-boyfriend. Wanda had got the guys, Keesha, and herself fake ID's, D.A. and Phoebe not wanting any part of it, so Arnold used his to get them a bottle of wine. 

"I've missed this," he said.

She sipped her wine. "Missed what?"

He nodded towards her. "_This_. Watching movies and just laughing and joking around with you. This is the Arnold-Phoebe time I miss the most."

She nodded and admitted, "You know...I've missed this, too." She took another drink of her wine, feeling it start to hit her.

They continued to watch the movie, Arnold kicking her feet in a playful way, and they finished the bottle of wine. He took their empty plates and glasses and got up to put them on the room service trolley, and he jumped back on the bed beside her, propping himself on his elbow.

"Want to watch another movie when this one is over?"

She shook her head and smiled down at him. "No, it's fine." He sat up and cupped her cheek, pulling her close for a kiss. The kiss intensified, and she pulled away, a string of her spit still connecting their lips. "Arnold, no. We can't do this."

He didn't say anything. She watched him pull his "Ancient Eight" Ivy League t-shirt off after removing his glasses, and her breath hitched as she looked at his toned chest and stomach. He was more built now than he had been in high school, and her tipsy brain had no control over her hand as she reached out and ran her fingers along his hairless chest. Her fingers made their way down along his stomach, his abs only apparent by touch, and she traced his small, tight looking navel. She brushed his thin, orange happy trail with the back of her finger, and she brought her eyes up to meet his...his pale blue eyes that she had countless memories of looking into when they had made love.

"Phoebe..." he started.

He looked down, and she followed his gaze. She saw an obvious bulge in his sweat pants, and she grasped the waistband of both his sweats and boxer-briefs. She pulled them down, freeing his erection, and she bit her lip, forgetting how big he was. He wasn't massive, but at eight inches in length at his longest, he was well endowed. He had developed below the waist faster than most of the other boys, so he never had a problem in junior high and high school taking showers in front of the other boys in the locker room.

He leaned closer to her, kissing her neck. "Arnold, I don't think we should do this...your roommate might come back at any time."

He nodded. "You're right." He got up and slipped his sweats and boxer-briefs off all the way. He pulled her "PROVIDENCE FRIARS" t-shirt off, and she laid back as he pulled her sweats and panties off. "We'll take this elsewhere."

He slipped his hands under her butt, lifting her up with ease. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and she cupped his face as he carried her to the bathroom. He shut the bathroom door behind them, and he set her on the counter. She gasped when he pressed his face into her, and she ran her fingers through his orange shag of hair. She spread her legs as far as she could, and she threw her head back as his tongue thrusted in and out of her. Just as she was about come, he stopped, kissing her along her belly and chest before kissing her lips. She figured he remembered how she loved to hate it when he'd tease her like that. He picked her up and set her down on the edge of the toilet lid. He squatted down, and she let out a small gasp when he entered her.

He smiled. "You're still really tight." She nodded and held onto his shoulders as he started off slow. He held her hips, his thumbs pressed against bone. He then remembered something. "Are you still on the pill?"

She nodded. "Since fifteen." She was put on birth control when she was fifteen to kick start her periods and had been on it since.

He smiled, relieved, and he found his rhythm, evening out the awkward thrusts. "You know, I haven't been with other girls sexually since you."

She swallowed hard. "You haven't?"

He shook his head, making his rhythm a little faster. "I knew I would...never wait for marriage, that I'd wait for love." He thrusted a little harder as he kissed her. "I never did find a girl that I could feel for what I...felt for you." He moaned, shutting his eyes, and tossed his head back, and he opened his eyes to look at her. "I still love you, Phoebe."

She moved her hands to cup his neck, and as she stared in his eyes, she ran her thumbs along his skin. "Arnold...I--"

"Shh, don't say anything yet."

He leaned in and took her lips with his. She parted her teeth to let his tongue in, and she melted into him. She had almost forgotten what an excellent kisser he was, and he was able to make-out with her while keeping his rhythm even. She whimpered and moaned against his mouth, tears creeping out of the corners of her closed eyes and mixing with sweat. She ran her fingers through his hair, and he lifted her up, turning around to press her up against the door. Her whimpering grew louder as he slammed his hips against hers.

She pulled back and moaned, forgetting they were in hotel. She grew used to screaming out when she was at Archibald's..._Archibald!_ She remembered him right then, her brain clearing, and just as Arnold released himself inside of her, moaning her name, she tried pulling away from him. She stopped when she caught his eye, and he gave her a small smile as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hi."

She cracked a smile. "Hi."

They stood there for a moment, Arnold still inside of her, and she moved her fingers along his cheeks. He continued to hold her, and he leaned closer to press his forehead against hers. Their sweaty strands tangled together, and he kissed the air near her lips.

"That...was amazing," he breathed.

She noticed his muscles were flexed, and if they were getting sore, he seemed not to care. She brushed his jaw line with the backs of her fingers, his stubble starting to come out, and she tilted her head up so their noses touched. She felt a bubbling in her stomach when she started to think about the fact it was Arnold holding her and not Archibald.

He moved his head to kiss her neck, and she brush her lips against his ear as she whispered, "Arnold, put me down."

He pulled back, giving her a confused look, but he did. He watched as she went to the tub and started the shower. "Phoebe, is something wrong?"

"Can you get my shower things?"

He nodded. "Sure."

He took one of the towels, wrapping it around his waist, and he walked out in the room. His roommate and the girlfriend's dry swim suits were on the other bed, and he figured they left for the clubs with everyone else. He grabbed Phoebe's toiletries bag, and he also grabbed her sweats, t-shirt, and a clean pair of panties for her. She was in the shower, her back was to him, when he walked back in the bathroom, and he left her things on the toilet lid. He waited for her to finish, and when she stepped out, he went in to shower himself. He took half an hour, and when he walked out, clad only in his towel, he found her watching TV.

"Pheebs..." He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. "I'm sorry."

She turned off the TV. "For what?"

"I think I scared you. I shouldn't have rushed things like I did."

She shook her head. "No...it's fine, Arnold." She sighed and looked down. "I think I scared myself because...well...I love you...as well." She held up a hand. "But...I don't think we can be together. Not right now, anyway."

He nodded and smiled. "Then we'll take it slow...focus on the friendship."

She kissed his cheek. "You're quite a guy, Arnold."

"So I've been told."

* * *

Phoebe woke when she heard stifled moans and grunts. Her stomach twisted when she realized their hotel roommates were having sex, and she felt Arnold turn on his side. 

He breathed in her ear, "Want to take a walk?"

"Gladly."

They got up, both putting on their flip-flops, and Arnold grabbed his wallet and room keycard, putting them in his sweats pocket. They walked out in the hall, Arnold taking her hand as they walked down the empty hallway. She started to giggle, and he smiled.

"You'd think that would have been awkward," he said.

She turned and looked at him. "Just a little."

They both laughed, and they walked to the elevator. Arnold pushed the "Down" button, and they stepped in when the doors opened. He pushed for the pool level, and they walked out to the humid indoor pool room. Phoebe sat down on one of the pool chairs, and Arnold took the seat beside her.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow...er, today?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, I think we're going out for a quick lunch, maybe some golf, don't know yet. Dinner's at some fancy steakhouse." He noticed her make a face. "I'm sure they serve salads and seafood."

She smiled. "You think you know me so well, don't you, Mr. Perlstein?"

He nodded and smirked. "I do."

She raised her brows, still smiling. "Oh, _really_."

"The real reason you have stage fright is because you're traumatized from having wet yourself in your kindergarten play." She raised her brows, and he went on, "You're allergic to mushrooms. You tell people your favorite movie of all time is _All About Eve_, but it's really _Boogie Nights_. You actually found _Borat_ funny, but you won't admit it, and deep down, you're truly afraid of clowns."

She shook her head and smiled. "Wow...I can't believe you know all of that."

He reached over and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I also remembered your six non-sexual parts erogenous zones." He ran his finger along her ear lobe. "Here." He moved his hand to brush the back of her neck. "Here." He ran his thumb over the pulsing neck vein under her jaw. "Here." His hand trailed down to her hip. "Here." He slid his fingers around her elbow. "Here." He reached down and brushed the back of her knee. "And here."

He sat back up to see her cheeks were red. "You know...there was a time when I knew _everything_ about you, but you knew nothing about me."

He nodded. "Third grade."

"Third grade to junior year," she corrected. "All you bothered to know about me was my name."

He looked as if she just slapped him. "Phoebe, we were friends. I knew more about you than just your name."

She set her jaw and darted her eyes down. "Think back to that time...before we dated." She brought her eyes back up to look at him. "What do you remember? Do have any clear memories of just you and me doing _anything_ together...anything outside of the rest of the gang?"

He shook his head, defeated. "Honestly...no. No, I don't."

She sighed and felt her eyes get wet. "I barely knew you when I first came to Ms. Frizzle's class, but I knew you loved rocks. I knew you weighed 85 pounds. I knew your middle name was Matthew." She bit her lip. "And I knew it was official I had a crush on you when we chased that dinosaur." She got up, muttering under her breath as she walked a couple of steps away, "_Biggest mistake of my life_."

"What?"

She turned around. "Nothing."

He got up and walked closer to her. "Phoebe, what's going on with you?"

She sniffled and covered her eyes with her fingers before tears rolled out. "I don't know, Arnold...you tell me. Since the day you broke up with me, I dropped so many hints that I still loved you and that I wanted you back, but you went on like I wasn't there. Now, suddenly, you say you love me and want to have sex with me? _Sorry_ if I'm a little confused."

Arnold could pick up the slight sarcasm in her last statement. "Phoebe...I wasn't even sure if I did still love you until I dated other girls and realized they weren't you." He held up his hands. "But...I'm sorry if I came on strong. If you want, we can just keep it slow...we'll stay friends until you're ready."

She chuckled and let a tear roll down her cheek. "How can I be so annoyed and confused over you one second and absolutely adore you the next?"

He grinned. "It's probably my Perlstein charm."

She held out her hand, and he took it. "C'mon, pal, let's go back up and see if they're done. I'm tired."

He nodded, squeezing her hand. "You read my mind, buddy."

* * *

Phoebe felt out of place in her own hotel room. Two other Kappa girlfriends came in her room with her and the roommate's girlfriend, and the three girls all saw Phoebe as a "project". After they did their own hair and make-up, they went at Phoebe as if she were a doll. In the room next door, the girls' dates were all ready. Arnold was wearing a champagne colored vest and ascot with his black suit, his dress shirt white, and he added a little more hairspray on to keep his soft curls just how he liked them. There was a knock on the door, one of the girls announcing they were ready. 

The boys walked out, and Arnold's jaw dropped when he saw Phoebe. She was wearing a long, emerald colored halter gown with a silver sash tied around under her breasts. Her hair was curled into little ringlets and pulled up in a messy, yet stylish, bun, and her make-up was just enough to even her skin tone and bring out her eyes. He went over to her and took her hand.

"You look amazing," he said, smiling.

Her skin flushed. "Thanks."

He looped her arm through his, and they followed the group downstairs to meet with some of the other Kappas and their dates. They walked outside where the hotel shuttles were ready to drop them off at the restaurant. Dinner went by fast, and when they returned to the hotel, the group made their way to one of the ballrooms. A sorority from Penn was having their formal next door, and the two groups began to mingle. Arnold was too distracted with Phoebe to notice some of the Penn girls smiling at him, and they walked in the ballroom. The night started off with Kappa awards and a slideshow, and then they left it open for everyone to either dance or enjoy the open bar.

Arnold got up and held his hand out to Phoebe. "Care to dance?"

She nodded, taking his hand. "Sure."

She was surprised he knew how to waltz. Before she could say anything, he said, "Mom made me and Dad take dancing lessons with her for all the charity dances she helps put on. She didn't want us looking bad."

She giggled. "I don't remember you dancing this well at Prom."

"It's because the dancing lessons were recent."

They smiled at one another, Phoebe darting her eyes down from time to time to keep from making too long of eye contact with him, and when the music changed to a fast-paced, rap song, Arnold and Phoebe walked hand-in-hand to the bar, Arnold using his fake ID to get himself a Guinness and Phoebe a Long Island Iced Tea. They walked out to the ballroom lobby, and they sat down on a bench.

"I've had fun tonight," she said, sipping her drink.

He took a drink of his Guinness, getting foam on his upper lip on purpose. "Me too."

Phoebe giggled and wiped the foam off with her finger, licking it clean. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "What was that for?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

"For cleaning my upper lip." She knew he was joking, and he reached for her hand. "What say we head upstairs and relax in front of the TV?"

She nodded, feeling her drink already starting to hit her. "That sounds good."

Fifteen minutes later, Phoebe was pressed against the headboard of the bed, screaming Arnold's name over and over. He held her up by her butt as he slammed his hips into hers, her inner thigh muscles strained and on fire. Her back was raw and bruising from hitting and sliding against the headboard, and the room was filled with the sounds of their grunts, breathing, and Phoebe's whimpers.

He slammed their hips together as hard at he could, and she knew they would both be bruised and sore in the morning. Arnold felt his whole body convulse when he released himself in her, and they collapsed in a heap of limbs, hair, and sweaty skin. Phoebe held him against her chest, his warm breath tickling her breast, and she couldn't remember a time she was ever more confused and dirty feeling.

Arnold held her tight up against him, and he kissed every one of her visible chest bones. "I don't want to let you go this time," he sighed against her skin. "I need you, Phoebe. I love you, and I need you."

She tried to move away from him, but he had a firm hold on her. "Arnold, don't...please."

He continued to kiss her chest. "Phoebe, if I don't tell you now...I just have to."

She bit her lip and took a deep breath, hoping that it was the Guinness talking for Arnold. "I want to go shower."

He let go of her. "Want me to join you?"

She shook her head, and he watched her walk into the bathroom.

* * *

Phoebe waited until she knew Arnold was in a deep sleep before she walked out in the hall. The roommate and girlfriend were passed out in the room next door, leaving Arnold and Phoebe alone in the room. It was about midnight when Arnold passed out, and Phoebe sat on the floor in the hallway, clad in her sweats and Arnold's "Ancient Eight" t-shirt, as she opened her phone and called Archibald. In the room, Arnold turned on his side and woke up when he realized he was alone in the bed. He got up and noticed Phoebe wasn't in the bathroom. He heard her out in the hall, and he cracked the door open. She was sitting by the door, not knowing he had it open some, and he listened to her. 

"Archibald...it's me. When you get this message, well, I'll probably be back in Rhode Island by then. I'm coming to see you tomorrow. I've missed you. I need to see you...be with you...feel your touch. I love you, Archibald. I love you so much. I know you haven't said it to me yet, but I have to say it to you. I need you to know that I love you. I'll see you when I get back."

Arnold tried to be quiet when he closed the door, and he trotted back to the bed, getting under the covers right when she opened the door. She put her phone back on its charger on the desk, and she crawled under the covers beside Arnold. He turned on his side, his back to her, and she did the same.

He knew he didn't sleep when he noticed it was getting lighter in the room. He picked up his Rolex from the bedside table and saw it was six fifty-three in the morning. He sighed. A few of the Kappas and their girlfriends/dates were going to breakfast at around ten before heading back to Providence, and he and Phoebe were planning on going with them.

He sat up on the edge of the bed, and he turned to look behind him. Phoebe was on her back, a trail of drool coming from the corner of her mouth. He started to think back to the night before, what she was saying into her phone. He had a sinking feeling "Archibald" was her second grade teacher, Mr. Seedplot. Had to be. Arnold remembered, for some reason, that his name was Archibald, and he tried to shake the image of Phoebe having sex with a middle aged man out of his mind. Did Phoebe really love him _and_ Seedplot just the same, or did she lie to him to lead him on?

Surely not. That wasn't Phoebe. But it also wasn't Phoebe to have sex with men old enough to be her father that also once used to be her elementary school teacher. He sighed, watching her eyes flinch in her sleep. He didn't know her anymore. She wasn't the same Phoebe he thought he loved. Or maybe she was and Seedplot was just manipulating her. Either way, Arnold didn't want to give her up. He knew she was going to Seedplot's that night, and he was going to find out where he lived.

Arnold knew he had to have a little talk with Archibald Seedplot.

* * *

**note:** Oh, poor confused and horny Phoebe. 

reviews are always nice.


	5. chapter five

**note:** So thanks for the reviews, everyone. Just so you lot know, there's only one more chapter after this, so no mas after the next chapter. Anyhoo, enough rambling.

Don't own MSB.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter five**

After Arnold dropped Phoebe off at her house, she jumped in her Jeep before D.A. knew she was home, and she took off for Archibald's, not knowing a 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser was following her. She parked in front of Archibald's house, and she got out, walking up to the front door. Archibald answered when she knocked, and when she threw herself in his arms, he returned the hold. Arnold was parked down the driveway, and he drove off, deciding to return when Phoebe wasn't there.

Inside the house, Phoebe and Archibald pulled at one another's clothes, their lips not straying far from each other. She was throbbing between her legs, her muscles strained, and her back was pocked with bruises and carpet burns from the night before but she didn't care. She needed him. She kissed whatever bare skin of his was showing, and when they were naked, she pulled him to the couch. She moved to be on top, but he pulled back.

"Phoebe, wait."

"What is it?" she asked, breathing hard.

"Before we make love, I want to clear some things up." He held her upper arms, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I thought about you a lot this weekend, and I care about you, Phoebe. Deeply, but to be honest, I'm not comfortable about loving you just yet."

She shook her head and put her hands on his chest. "Oh, Archibald, that's fine...really! I know you care for me, and if it'll take time for you to love me, that's fine. I just wanted you to know how _I_ feel."

He sighed and looked down. "I also...just wanted you to know...I'm still uneasy about the age difference."

"You know I don't care about that."

He nodded. "I know you don't, but...sometimes, when I think about you...I'll see you as you are now...and then...then I see the little girl I used to teach."

She stepped back. "Oh...oh, Archibald, I didn't know..." She took a deep breath and stepped closer. "But you know..." She grasped his hard-on. "I can make you forget what I looked like twelve years ago."

With her other hand, she cupped his neck, pulling him in for a deep kiss. She stroked his erection with a slow motion, and she used her whole body to direct him back to the couch. Archibald sat down, and Phoebe straddled his lap, guiding him in her as she moved her hips down, wincing some from the pain, her insides feeling raw. She held his neck in her hands, her thumbs stroking his cheeks, and she kept her movement slow.

"Oh, Archibald..." she moaned. "I've missed you."

He gripped her butt, helping her move faster, and he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder. She yelped when he picked her up and, staying inside of her, set her on her back on the couch, him on top. He kept his rhythm slow, but with each thrust, he pumped hard and eased back. Every time he pushed in her hard, she let out a high-pitched gasp of both pleasure and pain, and he made each pump harder, just to hear her make that sound. She smiled up at him, running her hands along his chest, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed her lips on his collarbone, moaning against his skin, as he made his rhythm faster. The skin of her back was in agony, the carpet burns beginning to bleed a little from being rubbed raw on the couch, but Archibald distracted her from that.

When they were done, he laid back on the couch, and Phoebe moved so she could lay somewhat on top of him, her leg slung over his hips. She ran her finger along his chest hair and heaved a sigh. "Archibald...I have to confess something."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "What is it?"

She propped herself up some and took a deep breath. "Arnold and I...we...on this trip...we slept together this weekend." All he did was nod. When he was silent for a moment, she said, "Archibald...please say something. Anything."

"Well, what should I say? I told you that we weren't exclusive."

She moved up to see him better. "Don't think this means I don't love you."

"Is Arnold your ex? The one you dated for two years?"

She nodded. "But that was in high school."

"Do you still love him, Phoebe?"

She swallowed hard, focusing her attention away from his face. "I...don't know, really. When I was with him, I felt like I did, but now, I don't think I do." She kissed his chest. "I love _you_."

He sat up, pulling from her hold, and he reached for his discarded boxers. "I think you should go home. We both have class tomorrow."

She grabbed the blanket hanging on the back of the couch, and she wrapped it around herself. "No, Archibald, I want to stay with you tonight."

He slipped his slacks on, and he picked up his shirt. "No, Phoebe. I would rather you went back to Providence tonight."

She bit her lip and nodded. She grabbed her clothes, putting them on as fast as she could. She headed for the door, stopped, and she turned around. "I'm coming back tomorrow."

He nodded, and she walked out to her Jeep. She drove back to Providence, parking behind Dorothy Ann's 450SL, and she hoped D.A. was in bed when she walked in the front door. She was, and Phoebe felt her way to her room in the dark.

* * *

Dorothy Ann was walking to her next class the following morning, listening to her R.E.M. mix on her iPod, when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Arnold, and she smiled as she pulled her earphones out. "Hey, Arn. What brings you to bother me today?" 

He gave her a sarcastic smile. "Cute."

They started walking, and she asked, "So how was formal?"

He took her by surprise when he answered, "I think Phoebe's dating someone else."

D.A.'s eyes went wide. "I _knew_ it!"

"You did?"

She shrugged. "Well, actually, I'm assuming. She's been acting weird lately."

"More so than usual?"

They both chuckled, and she nodded. "Definitely." She tilted her head. "So what makes you think she's with someone else?"

"I overheard her leaving him a voicemail." He decided to leave out his suspicion that it was Mr. Seedplot, mostly because he didn't want anyone to know Phoebe was rejecting him for a middle aged man.

They started walking. "Any ideas who it might be?"

He shook his head. "None." He hoped in their sixteen or so years of friendship she hadn't picked up on how to know when he was lying.

She hadn't. "I'm like freaking over who it is," she said. "Phoebe's had her random crushes, but you were the only one she liked for more than five minutes and actually dated. Well, you and Mr. Seedplot."

He snapped his head towards her. "What do you mean?"

"It was so obvious she liked him back in the day. I think he was her first crush, and you were her first 'boy her own age' crush."

He scratched his chin. "Seedplot, huh? Think she ever got over that?"

"Probably. She only had eyes for you from the third grade on. Well, maybe except for now."

He touched her arm and stopped walking. "Phoebe and I slept together this weekend."

D.A.'s eyes bugged out. "_What?_ She never told me that!"

"Shh!" He lowered his voice. "But it wasn't the same. She started to be the old Phoebe some the last time we did, but before that, she was distant and not so much into it."

"Odd. Then she must be with someone else because..." She grinned. "From what I understand, Arnold Perlstein is quite endowed and excellent in bed."

His face turned beet red. "Why must girls tell each other_ everything?_"

"Hey, I'd be happy if I were you. Carlos doesn't have...the same reputation as you."

He laughed. "Remind me not to date you then cheat on you."

D.A. laughed, and when they resumed walking, she snapped her fingers. "Hey, maybe if I get Phoebe drunk enough, she'll spill it."

Arnold laughed. "Phoebe's a lightweight. I doubt her liver will like that."

"Yeah, true."

They felt someone tug on their bags, and they turned to see Janet behind them. "If you two are now dating, that would make me happy." She popped Arnold on the arm. "Lord knows D.A. is ten times better than the 40 pound tumor you had in high school."

Arnold rolled his eyes, and D.A. said, "Well, we were actually talking about her."

Janet grimaced. "Ew."

Arnold shot Janet a look. "What is it exactly you have against Phoebe? You've _never_ liked her."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" D.A. asked him. "Janet has repressed homosexual feelings for Phoebe that she just hasn't come to terms with."

Janet narrowed her eyes. "D.A., I'm not a fucking retard like Wanda. I know what you said, and what you said was utter bullshit. I'm not a freakin' lesbo for Phoebe."

Arnold shrugged. "I don't know, Janet. We Perlsteins are irresistible to Tereses. I bet if you approached her, she'd go out with you."

Janet plugged her ears. "La la la! I hate you guys! I'm going to class!"

She sprinted off, and D.A. and Arnold high fived. "We make a good team," she said.

He nodded. "It's weird, but yeah, we do."

* * *

Arnold watched as Phoebe left Archibald's the following night. He had to confirm his suspicion, and he drove down the dirt and sand driveway. He parked where Phoebe's Jeep had been, and he got out, smoothing down his t-shirt as he walked up the porch steps. He knocked on the door, and he saw a silhouette of a man on the other side of the curtains. Arnold's face fell when he saw that he had been right. 

"May I help you?" Archibald asked, a small smile on his face.

Arnold don't know what came over him, but only a second that felt like five minutes passed as Arnold's left fist met Archibald's jaw. He stumbled back, holding his jaw, and Arnold kept both of his fists at the ready, despite being in shock that he just hit a man about twenty years older than him.

"Stay away from her," was what Arnold managed to get out.

Archibald straightened up, and he looked at him. "You must be Arnold. That's quite a left hook you have there."

He stepped closer to Archibald. "I know about you and Phoebe. Just...just stay away from her, okay?"

"I believe it's up to her, Arnold," Archibald said, his calm tone annoying Arnold.

"Do you love her?"

He raised his brows. "Excuse me?"

Arnold's fists were so tight, his knuckles went white. "I asked if you love her. Do you?"

"I care deeply for her."

Arnold shook his head. "That's not good enough. _I_ love her."

Archibald walked past him to shut the door, and he nodded towards the kitchen. "We should talk."

"I've said all I need to say," Arnold snapped.

Archibald walked towards the kitchen. "I'll put on the tea."

Arnold took a deep breath, and he shook his head as he followed Archibald. He sat down at the kitchen table as Archibald filled the teapot with water. He saw a red lump forming on the right side of Archibald's face, and he felt bad now. "I'm...I'm sorry for hitting you."

Archibald shook his head. "It's fine. No harm done. Bruises come and go." He set the teapot on the burner, and he sat down across from Arnold. "So...Arnold, I see by your shirt you go to Brown."

Arnold nodded, looking down at his Kappa t-shirt. "I'm in my second year."

"I went to Brown. Class of 1987."

Arnold raised his brows. "That was the year I was born."

Archibald's cheeks turned pink. The teapot whistled, and Archibald got up to serve their tea. He came back to the table with their cups, handing Arnold his. "Would you like anything? Honey? Milk? Lemon?"

Arnold shook his head. "Plain's fine." He sipped the tea, not really a fan of it hot, but he didn't say anything. "Mr. Seedplot--"

"'Archibald' is fine."

He nodded. "Archibald...can I ask something?"

"Of course."

Arnold hesitated, but he went on. "Why Phoebe?"

Archibald sipped his tea and set his cup down, taking a deep breath. "She's a wonderful young woman. She's bright, caring, and she makes me feel..." He trailed off.

"Young?" Arnold finished.

"She's special to me, Arnold."

"She's also about twenty-two years younger than you," Arnold pointed out. "With all due respect, Archibald, can you really see what you and Phoebe having going beyond a secret sex life?"

Archibald furrowed his brow. "I don't think what Phoebe and I do behind closed doors is any of your business."

"I can give Phoebe more," Arnold went on. "When she's thirty, I'll be thirty. When she's forty, I'll be forty. I love her _now_. I _know_ I love her. I can give her everything she thinks she wants with you."

"I honestly cannot argue with that," Archibald sighed. "But it should be up to _her_. She's old enough to make her own decisions. Age doesn't matter to her, so it...it shouldn't matter to me."

Arnold shook his head. "I think it does matter to you." He looked down at the cup on the table between his hands, and he looked back up at Archibald. "When I mentioned the year you graduated from Brown was the year I was born, I saw the look on your face. How does that make you feel? Two months after you graduated, Phoebe was born. You were thirty when she was seven. When you're fifty, she'll be 27." Archibald didn't say anything. Arnold pushed his cup of tea away, and he got up. "I'm only five months older than she is."

With that, he walked out to his Land Cruiser and headed back to Providence, leaving Archibald with his thoughts.

* * *

**note:** Oh, dramas. Sorry this was kind of short.

reviews are good.


	6. chapter six

**note:** So this is the final chapter. Thanks for all the reviews!

Don't own MSB.

Enjoy!

* * *

**different names for the same thing**  
by, the ultimateSora

**chapter six**

The following night, Archibald let Phoebe in, and she noticed a bruised lump on the side of his face. "What happened?"

She brushed her fingertips along his purple skin, and he winced some. "Book fell off the shelf."

He pulled back when she moved to kiss him, and her face fell. "What is it?"

He took her hand and brought her over to the couch. "We need to talk, Phoebe."

They sat down, and her voice shook when she asked, "About what?"

"You and me." He sighed and leaned forward, his arms on his thighs. "Phoebe, I've been thinking about this, and I don't think I can continue leading you on."

Her eyes teared up. "Lead me on? You weren't leading me on."

He got up. "You love me, Phoebe, but I'm not sure if I love you like that." He turned to face her. "To me, that's leading you on."

She jumped to her feet. "Archibald, you know I don't care about that!" Tears were running down her cheeks.

"I know you don't, but...that isn't all." He took a deep breath. "Phoebe, you're also nineteen--"

"_I don't care that you're older!_" she cried.

"It does make a difference, Phoebe," he sighed, keeping his voice soft and calm. "It would just be best for both of us if we ended it now."

She grabbed his hands, not caring that her tears were running under her shirt collar. "Archibald, I love you! And I'm willing to wait to become Mrs. Seedplot. I can wait for you to love me! Just please don't push me away."

He gave her hands a squeeze. "You're a wonderful young woman, Phoebe. You'll make some young man very happy." He let go of her and stepped back. "You should be with Arnold."

Her heart stopped. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He came by yesterday, and we talked. I started to think a lot on what he said, and I think you should be with a younger man who loves you."

She realized the bruised lump was right where a left fist would make impact. "He hit you, didn't he?" Archibald's lack of response answered for her. "I don't want him. I want _you_. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

He let go of her hands and gave her upper arms a gentle squeeze. "Don't think that what we had was just me having sexual fun. I do care deeply for you, Phoebe, but it cannot last." He kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, Phoebe."

She opened her mouth to protest, but she closed it when he let go of her walk off a couple of steps, his back to her. She stifled a sob and ran out.

* * *

"_Mr. Seedplot?_" Dorothy Ann's eyes were wide, and her mouth was in a perfect "O". "Phoebe's been sneaking around with _Mr. Seedplot?_"

She was sitting at the dining room table as Arnold paced around. "I don't know what to do," he said, throwing his arms up. "She said she loved me, but now I don't know if she meant it or not."

D.A. shrugged. "Well, Arn, I don't think Pheebs is the 'I love you but don't really mean it' type. I'd expect something like that more from Wanda."

Just then, the front door swung open, and they saw a red, tear-stained faced Phoebe. She slammed the door behind her and walked closer to Arnold. "_How could you do it?_" she screamed at him.

She was about to start hitting him, but D.A. jumped up and threw herself between them, keeping her back. "Phoebe! Phoebe, calm down!"

"_I hate you!_" she cried out to Arnold. "_I hate you!_"

D.A. shoved her back. "_Phoebe!_" She reached out and grabbed her upper arms, shaking her some. "Phoebe, what the hell is going on?"

She looked at Arnold, pointing. "_He_ ruined it for me! He made Archibald end it with me!" She pulled away from D.A., and she ran to her room, the door slamming shut echoing through the house.

Arnold moved to go after her, but D.A. held up her hand, shaking her head. She walked down the hall to Phoebe's room, and she sighed at the locked door. Their doors had keyholes, and they had each other's room key. D.A. grabbed her keys from the kitchen, and she went back to unlock Phoebe's room. She walked in to find Phoebe crying on the bed, and she shut the door behind her.

"Pheebs?"

"Go away," she sobbed.

D.A. walked over to the bed, jumping on it. She crawled beside Phoebe and laid on her side, facing her. "Roommates and best friends don't listen to 'go away'." She tapped Phoebe's nose. "Talk."

Phoebe sniffled and wiped her bloodshot eyes. "I guess Arnold would have told you about my little affair."

D.A. nodded. "I'm a little put off _you_ didn't tell me."

"Arnold went to talk to him last night," Phoebe went on. "And tonight, Archibald decided nothing more could come from what we had." She sniffled again. "He kept going on about the age difference, how he wasn't sure if he loved me like I loved him, and everything...and I..." She shut her eyes, tears streaming out once again. "I hate Arnold for this."

"Pheebs, did you really think it could last between a forty-something year old man and a nineteen year old girl?" Phoebe opened her eyes, hating D.A.'s practicality. "And do you think your parents would approve if they knew?"

"Of course not...but if we gave it time..."

"Gave it time? Pheebs, by the time you're 23, he'd be...what? Forty-four or so?"

"Forty-six," Phoebe mumbled.

"And do you think he would want to wait for you to finish school to get married, and do you think he would want to have children so late in his life?"

"But you see many older men-younger women couples. Aren't they more socially acceptable?"

"Maybe, but in this day and age, how many forty-two year old men date nineteen year old women that aren't millionaires and their mistresses, you know? It's mostly gold diggers you see these days."

Phoebe wiped her eyes. "I think I need to be alone right now."

D.A. wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. "I'm just outside if you need me. And when you're ready, I'll have the Ben & Jerry's and _Golden Girls_ DVDs at the ready."

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks."

D.A. kissed her head, and she got up, walking out into the hall where Arnold was leaning against the wall. "How is she?" he asked.

D.A. shook her head. "I think it would be best if you went home, Arn."

"No. I have to talk to her. I need to apologize."

D.A. looped her arms around his, and they walked to the living room. "Arnold, she wants to be alone right now. Go home, and when she's ready, she'll call you."

He pulled his arm from her hold and took off his hoodie, laying it on the arm chair. He kicked off his shoes. "Nope. I'm staying here. I'm going to sleep on the couch."

D.A. sighed. "_Fine._" She went in her room and came back out with her yellow and purple Minnesota Vikings fleece, red and blue Minnesota Twins fleece, and a pillow. She tossed them to him. "There. That's all you're getting." She headed to the bathroom. "I'm going to wash off my make-up and brush my teeth. You can have the bathroom when I'm done."

He watched her go, and he took off his glasses, putting them on the coffee table. He shook out both fleece blankets a few times before laying them out on the couch, and he propped the pillow on the arm rest. D.A. had only the best sheets, her pillowcase a soft 400 thread count, and the pillow was a fluffy, 1000-count, synthetic fill (which was good considering both were allergic to down filling, which made both sneeze).

D.A. came out of the bathroom, and before she went in her room, she said, "G'night, Arn. I hope Phoebe doesn't realize you're here and kills you in the night."

"She's not capable of murder," he said, heading to the bathroom. "At least I don't think she is..."

* * *

Phoebe woke up when the sun shone through her blinds the next morning. Her eyes felt raw, and she pulled herself out of bed, realizing she fell asleep in the clothes she wore the night before. She took them off, tossing them in her hamper, and she slipped on a pair of yellow and white striped boxers and a maroon t-shirt that read "WALKER LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD" in gold around the silhouette of a pirate, the middle school's mascot.

She walked across the hall to the bathroom, and she pulled her hair up in a lopsided ponytail before washing her face and brushing her teeth. Her eyes were still red and puffy, and she looked over her pale, freckled face. Her cheeks were round, and her green eyes looked sunken. Her lips were chapped, as usual, and she heaved a sigh, walking out. She realized the TV was on, and she walked in the living room to find Arnold eating a bowl a Fruit Loops, his face unshaven, and he was wearing rumpled jeans and a gray Brown swim team t-shirt.

"What're you doing here?" she demanded, her hands on her hips. He didn't answer right away. He drank the milk left in the bowl, and he got up, going to the kitchen to rinse the bowl out. "Arnold?" He walked to the bathroom, and she followed him. "So, what? Now you're going to ignore me?"

She watched as he rinsed his mouth and took her bottle of wintermint mouthwash, pouring some into his mouth. He swished and spit, and he ran some water over his mouth. He knew which towel was hers, and he wiped his face. He walked back to the living room, turning off the TV.

He turned to face her. "I'm not ignoring you. I just wanted to look decent for you."

"Why did you do it?" she asked, feeling the tears come back.

"Testosterone can be a bastard," he said, sitting down on the arm rest of the couch. "Look, I don't know what had come over me to punch him, but I apologized."

She crossed her arms. "Why did you even go see him? How did you even know?"

He took a deep breath. "The last time we had sex during formal weekend, I woke up when you weren't in bed." D.A. walked out of her room right then, saw the two were talking, turned on her heel and walked back in, shutting the door behind her. "I got up when I heard you in the hall, and I overheard you leaving him a voicemail."

"You followed me, didn't you?" He nodded. "Arnold, if you knew I loved him, why didn't you just let me be happy?"

He looked down and back up at her, scratching the back of his neck where the ends of his hair brushed the skin. "Because I didn't like what...whatever it was you two had was doing to you. Phoebe, the man didn't love you, but you tortured yourself with the thought that if you stayed with him, he eventually would." Before she could ask how he figured all of that out, he said, "I know you too well, Phoebe. Even if you don't think so. I know you better than most people do."

"I was happy with what I had with him," she said, her tone soft.

"I know you think you were, but in the long run, it wasn't worth it." He reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. "I was just looking out for you because I love you."

She nodded and sniffled. "I know you do, Arnold. But you also have to remember that I still loved you after you broke up with me. You rejected me for two years after that, and before you came around in high school, you rejected me...even if you weren't aware of it." She sniffled again. "We were together for two years, Arnold. _Two years_. You would have stayed with me if you truly loved me like you say you do."

"What did you expect, Phoebe?" he asked, his tone a little harsh now, as he let go of her arm. "Did you expect us to get married at 18? Did you think we were going to be together forever at that point? I loved you, but I was scared!"

"Scared of what?" she cried. "I wanted to marry you, I admit it! I didn't care that I was 17; I wanted to be your wife!" She covered her face and took a deep shaking breath. She uncovered her face and wiped her eyes. "I know you were my first real boyfriend and my first love, but I wanted to be with you forever." She pushed her hair back and sniffled. "And for the first time in a long time, I felt wanted. Archibald made me feel wanted."

"'Wanted', Phoebe. Not 'needed'." He took a deep breath. "I was scared then of being with you like that, but I'm not now. I need you, and I love you. But..." He looked her square in the eye. "I'm willing to get out of your life if you want."

She raised her brows, surprised. She looked into his pale blue eyes, knowing he was serious, and she reached for his hand. "I don't want that." She cracked a half-smile. "I don't know what I would do if Arnold Matthew Perlstein wasn't in my life."

"You need your annual dose of pretty nerd-boy," he said with a grin. Still holding her hand, he gave her a gentle pop on the belly. "At least being with an older guy who's a teacher gave you some more..." He gave her a seductive, yet goofy, grin. "_Education._"

She blushed. "Shut up. He was great, but...I did teach him a thing or two."

He raised his brows. "Oh, really? Like what?"

It was her turn to pop him with their linked hands. "I'm not telling you!"

He got up, a small smile on his face. "Fair enough. But anyway...I'll give you time to yourself." He let go of her hand, and he slipped his shoes on and grabbed his hoodie. "I'll just head back to the house."

He started for the front door, and Phoebe reached for his shoulder. "Arnold, wait."

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Can I still bring you lunch?"

He smiled. "Only if you want to."

She nodded. "I want to. And I will." She kissed his cheek.

"I'll see you around, Pheebs." He headed for the front door, and before he opened it, he said, "Sorry for everything."

With that, he walked out.

* * *

"You lucky..._lucky_...skinny sonavabitch," Wanda sighed.

The girls were out at lunch later that day at a deli in downtown Providence. Phoebe told them about her little affair with Archibald, Keesha and Wanda a little ticked that she didn't tell them sooner. Keesha started to understand why, but Wanda, on the other hand...

"Why couldn't you have told us?" she went on. "I want to hear what sex with an older man is like! The oldest guy I've had sex with was 23!"

Keesha laughed. "Wanda wanting sex advice from Phoebe..._now_ I've heard everything."

Wanda shot her a look. "I don't want _advice_...just details."

D.A. popped a chip in her mouth. "Well, Pheebs, you know, I think what Arnold did was pretty romantic...barbaric and thoughtless, yes, but also romantic."

"Arnold punching someone is always hot," Keesha said. "Mostly because he hardly ever does it and those veins in his arms pop out even more."

D.A. nodded. "So glad I'm not the only one who finds a guy's arm veins sexy."

"Who_doesn't_ find it sexy?" Wanda asked, laughing. "Ralphie's were pretty sexy, too."

Keesha nodded. "He does have sexy arms."

Wanda closed her eyes and shook her shoulders. "Mm, a guy's arms are the sexiest, non-sexual part of a guy." She snapped her fingers. "Oh! Back to Phoebe's older-man-sex. What was it like?"

Phoebe furrowed her brow. "I'm not going to go into detail about our love making, okay?"

"You used to when you had sex with Arnold," Keesha said.

Phoebe's cheeks went red. "That was only to shut Wanda up because she kept making comments about how she _almost_ had sex with him."

"I _did!_" Wanda argued. "Almost!"

D.A. looked at her watch and got up. "Sorry to eat and bail, but I have class soon." She put her portion of the bill on the table, and she walked out.

She got in her 450SL roadster, and she drove to the Brown campus, parking in her sorority's out-of-house portion of their parking lot. She grabbed her book bag, and she headed to her class. She put her headphones in, and she enjoyed the April breeze blowing through her hair. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she saw Arnold walking beside her.

"Where're you going?" he asked when she took her headphones out.

"Psych. You?"

"Chem lab."

She studied his expression, and she reached for his hand, giving a small squeeze. She grinned and said, "Phoebe may come around."

He shook his head. "I think it's finally over between us. I hurt her pretty bad."

"There's a part of Phoebe that will always love you, Arnold...even if she'll never admit it."

"I suppose I can date around," he said, squeezing her hand back. "Get myself into the dating swing of things."

She laughed. "You've been with a lot of women, Arn. I doubt you need to get yourself back 'into the swing of things'." She held up her other hand. "I don't mean that in a sexual deviant, pervy, skeezy way."

He smiled, understanding. "Thanks, D.A."

She swung their hands, getting his attention. "Wanna get a coffee after class?"

He nodded. "That sounds excellent. Lab's over at two."

"I get out at two-thirty. I have another class right after psych."

He squeezed her hand before letting go of it. "I'll see you then."

He turned to go to the hall his lab was, and D.A. called out, "Hey, Arn..." He stopped and turned around. "Phoebe'll come around. Don't worry."

He gave her a wink. "I hope not for a while."

* * *

FIN.


End file.
